Can rotating device for can coating machine



Nov. 12; 1957" R. E. J. NORDQUIST 2,312,846

CAN ROTATING DEVICE FOR CAN COATING MACHINES Filed Dec. 10. 1954 5Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

RONALD E.J. NORDQUIST M ATTORNEYS Nov. 12, 1957 R. E. J. NORDQUIST,812,846

CAN ROTATING DEVICE FOR CAN COATING MACHINES Filed Dec. 10. 1954 3SheetsSheet 2 lNV ENTOR. RONALD E.J. NORDQUIST v ATTORNEYS CAN ROTATINGDEVICE FOR CAN COATING MACHINES Nov. 12, 1957 R. E. ,1. NORDQUIST 3Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 10. 1954 -INVENT0R.Y

ATTORNEYS United rates tent CAN ROTATING DEVICE FQR CAN COATING MACHINERonald E. J. Nordquist, Summit, N. J assignor to American Can Company,New York, N. Y'.', 'a corporation of New Jersey Application December 10,1954;, Serial No. 474,497

10 Claims. (Cl. 19833) The present invention relates to coating machinesin general and more specifically to machines for spraying the interiorsurfaces of open can or container bodieswith a film of coating materialand has particular reference to improved devices for freely rotating orspinning the bodies for the coating operation.

In can manufacture the interior spraying of can bodies is commonlyeffected in machines having rotating turrets provided with peripheralpockets in which the bodies are located for advancement through themachine and by which the bodies are positioned at the spraying stationof the machine. At the spraying station the bodies are rotated in theirpockets while the coating material is projected against the innersurfaces of the bodies. The contact of thebodies with the pocket wallcreates a drag on the bodies which interferes with their proper rotationand sometimes mars the outer surface of the bodies, especially if theouter surfaces are lithographed or otherwise decorated. i

The instant invention contemplates overcoming these difiiculties. V

' It" is an object, therefore, of the instant invention to' provide in acan body spraying machine improved devices for rotating the bodies to besprayed, wherein the bodies are partially withdrawn from their confiningturret pockets at the spraying station to space the bodies from thepocket walls so that the bodies may be rotated free of the pockets,without creating any drag on the bodies or withoutmarfing their outersurfaces.

Another'object is the provision of such can body rotating deviceswherein the bodies'may be readily located and supported at the sprayingstation free of their confining pockets for concentric rotation relativeto a spray nozzle or other coating element.

Another'object is the provision of such can body rotatingdevices whereinthe rotating elements are shifted out of and into the path of travel ofthe advancing bodies in 'synchronism with the advancement of the bodiesby their turret'to provide for free entrance of the bodies intothespraying station and exit from the station without interference withthe rotating devices. i

Numerousother objects and advantages of the inven tion willbe apparentas it is better understood from the following description, which, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferredembodimen-t thereof. i

"Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a front elevation'of a coating machine embodying the instantinvention", with parts. broken away;

Fig.2 isan end elevation of the machine as viewed from the left in .Fig.1, with parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail of a can spinning roller used inthe machine, the view being taken substantially along the line 33 inFig. 1;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are schematic views taken substantially along the line4-4 in Fig'. 2, andillustrating the can 2,812,846 Patented Nov. 12, 19572 spinning rollers in different positions as an incident to moving a caninto and out of spinning position;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a modified form of roller;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a second modified form ofroller;

Fig'. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified form of machinein which the modified roller shown in Fig. 7 is used, parts being brokenaway;

Fig. 10 is a top plan view as taken the line 10-10 in Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a sectional view talcen substantially along the broken line11'11in Fig. 4, with parts broken away;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary front elevation of a second substantially alongmodified form of the machine in which the second niodified roller shownin Fig. 8 is used; and

Fig. 13 is a rear elevationof the parts shown in Fig. 12.

As a preferred or'exemplary embodiment of the invention Figs. 1, 2, 3,4, 5, 6 and 11 of the drawings disclose principal parts of a coatingorspraying machine of the character disclosed in United States Patent2,189,783 issued February 13, 1940 to F. Eberhart on a coating machinefor spraying the interior surfaces of sheetmetal can bodies A (Fig. 1)having one or both of its" ends open.

In the machine, the can bodies A are receivedfrom any suitable source ofsupply, preferably rolling on their sides, and are fed into individualhalf round molds or pockets 11 (Figs. 1 and 2) of a vertically disposedinter- .mittently rotatable turret 12 as disclosed in the abovementioned Eberhart Patent 2,189,783. The turret 12 advances the bodies Aintermittently in spaced and timed order along a curved path of traveladjacent the outer periphery of the turret into and through a coating orspraying station B where the coating operation takes place while thelocated body'is rotated on its own axis while the turret is' atrest,'and thence into a discharge station where the coated canbodies aredischarged from the machine. A curved guide rail 10 disposed adjacentthe outer periphery of the turret 12 retains the can bodies in theirturret pockets 11 during this travel. i Y

The coating of the can bodies while at the spraying station may beeffected in any suitable manner such as by'projecting a 's'prayfof thecoating "material into the rotating bodies as shown in the Eberhartpatent above mentioned or as by moving a nozzle into and out of therotating body at the spraying station as shown United States Patent2,103,270 issued December 28', 1937 to J. Murch on Can Spraying'Machine.i

' The turret 12 (Figs. 1 and 2) having the peripherally spaced pockets11 preferably'cpmprises a pair of spaced and parallel discs 13 mountedon one end ofa horizontal turret shaft 14 carried in' a bearing 15formed in a frame 16 which constitutes the main frame of the machine asshown in the Eberhart Patent 2,189,783. The shaft 14 and the turret 12connected thereto 'are'intermittently rotated through stepped(ii-"partial rotations by an indexing device which includesanindexingwheel 13 mounted ontheshaft'14.

The indexing wheel 18 carries adjacent its outer periphery a pluralityof equally 'spaced jcam rollers one for each"turret pocket '11, arrangedin'a circle successive engagement 'fwitha conventional interrnpted caingroove 21 of a continuously "rotating irid'exing cam 22 disposedadjacent the wheelj'18, "Th ndexingcam 22 is mountedoiiadri'veshaft23journaled in bearings 24 formed in the machine frame 16; Thedrive shaft Inf.

12 through .one step or partial rotation, thus advancing all can bodiesA in the turret pockets 11 one step along their curved path of traveland advancing one of the can bodies into the coating station B. Duringthe remaining portion of the cycle,: the turret 12 is heldstatioriaryto' hold the one can body atthe'coatingstation. .It is. during thisstationary period in the cycle of operation of the turret that the canbody at the coating station is rotated on its axis and-coated interiorlyas mentioned. heretofore.

Rotation of the can body A at the' coatingstation Bis effected by a pairof adjacently disposed spinning rollers 27, 28 located at the coatingstation, adjacent the outer periphery ofthe turret 12 and in the path oftravel of the can body.' The spinning rollers 27, 28 are rotatablymounted on respective horizontal shafts29 3tl. carried in the free outerendsrof a pair of roller arms 32, 33 (Figs. 2, 4, 5, 6 and 11), both ofwhich at their opposite ends are pivotally mounted on a commonhorizontal roller drive shaft 34 carried in bearings 35 formed in themachine frame 16. g

The spinning rollers 27, 28 are rotated rapidly in unison and in acounterclockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 1, 4, Sand 6 by spur gears38, 39 which surround the respective roller shafts 29, 30 and aresecured to the respective spinning rollers 27, 28 (see Fig. 3). Thesegears 38, 39 mesh with and are rotated by a common gear 41 mounted onthe drive shaft 34. The drive shaft 34 may be driven in any suitablemanner from any of the rotating parts ofthe machine. One manner ofdriving the shaft, as shown in the drawings is through a gear connectionwith the indexing cam shaft 23. For this. purpose, the drive shaft 34carries a gear 43 which meshes with a gear 44 carried on a shaft 45journaled in a bearing 46 formed in the machine frame 16. The shaft 45preferably is located between the roller arms 32, 33. One end of theshaft 45 carries a bevel gear 47 which meshes with and is rotated by abevel gear 48 mounted on a short vertical shaft carried in a bearing 49on the frame 16. The upper end of the shaft carries a bevel gear 50which meshes with and is driven by a bevel gear 60 on the indexing camshaft 23. The shaft 45 preferably makes one revolution for eachrevolution of the indexing cam shaft 23 for a purpose to be hereinafterexplained. However the ratio between the gears 43, 44 andgears 38, 39,41 preferably is such as to rotate the spinning rollers 27, 28 at agreatly increased speed.

The spinning rollers 27, 28 are arranged to be successively shifted outof and back into the path of travel of the can bodies A as a bodyadvances into and moves out of the coating station B so that the rollersdo not interfere with the travel of the can bodies. For this purpose,the roller arm 32 carries a cam roller 51 (Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 11) and theopposite arm 33 carries a cam roller 52, both of which engage against acam hub 53 mounted on the other end of the shaft 45. A tension spring54,

stretched between and connected to pins 55 secured in the free ends ofthe roller arms 32, 33, yieldably draw the roller arms toward each otherand keep the rollers 51, 52 in contact with the cam hub 53.

The cam hub 53 carries a radially projecting lug cam 57 which isengageable only with the cam roller 51 on arm 32 and also carries asimilar radially projecting lug cam 58 which is engageable only with thecam roller 52 on arm 33. These lug earns 57, 58 are located relative toeach other in such a manner that during a single rotation of the shaft45, i. e. during one cycle of operation of the machine, the cam 57engages and pushes outwardly the cam roller 51 on the roller arm 32 asshown in Fig. 5, and thus shifts the spinning roller 27 out of the pathof travel of a can body as it approaches and enters the coating stationB during a partial rotation of the turret 12. As the turret comes torest to locate the can body at the coating station, the lug cam 57 ridesoff the cam roller 51 and permits the spring 54 to draw the arm 32 andthe attached spinning roller 27 back into place to cooperate with thespinning roller 28 in engaging and spinning the cam body A, while theturret 12 remains at rest.

Following the spinning operation during which time the interior of thecan body is coated, the turret 12 begins another partial rotation tomove the coated body out of the coating station and to bring a new oneinto the station for coating. At the beginning of this partial rotationof the turret, the lug cam 58 engages and pushes outwardly the camroller 52 on the roller arm 33 as shown in Fig. 6, and thus shifts thespinning roller 28 out of the path of travel of the can body, ahead ofthe advancing body and thus permits the body to advance unobstructedly.When the body passes out of range of the spinning roller 28, the cam 58rides off the cam roller 52 on the arm 33 and thus permits the spring 54to draw the spinning roller 28 back into body rotating position for arepeat spinning operation on the next can body being advanced into thecoating station.

As a can body A moves into the coating station B and is located forspinning by the spinning rollers 27, 28, when the turret 12 comes torest after a partial rotation, the can body is withdrawn from itsretaining pocket 11 a sufiicient distance to permit the body to clearthe pocket defining walls so that the body may rotate freely without anydragging or retarding action as hereinbefore mentioned. To facilitatethis withdrawing action, the guide rail 10 is relieved or cut away atthis point to clear the can body.

This body withdrawing action preferably is effected by magneticattraction. For this purpose and as a preferred form of the invention,each spinning roller 27, 28 is provided with a cylindrical permanentmagnet 61 (see Fig. 3) mounted concentrically on a roller hub 62supported on ball bearings 63 carried on the spinning roller shafts 29,30. The magnets 61 (one for each spinning roller 27, 28) are disposedalong the roller shafts 29, 30 preferably in a centralized positionrelative to the side Wall of the can bodies A as best shown in Fig. 3.Each magnet 61 is provided with a pair of annular, ringlike pole pieces64 which engage against opposite sides of the'magnet and which arelarger in diameter.

The outer cylindrical faces of the magnets normally are disposedslightlyabove the inner guiding face of the guide rail 10 but are spacedaway from a can body A at the coating station a distance sufficient topermit withdrawal of the can body from its turret pocket 11 toward thepole pieces 64. Adjacent each pole piece 64, the spinning rolls 27, 28are provided with resilient friction rings 66, preferably made of rubberor other fric-i tion material for engagement with the withdrawn can bodyto effect its rotation.

The friction rings 66 are slightly larger in diameter than the polepieces 64 to hold the can body slightly out of contact with the polepieces. The rings 66 preferably are formed with laterally extendingshoulders which engage under cooperating shoulders formed on the pole'pieces 64 and on a pair of clamp rings 68 located at the outer ends ofthe roller hub 62 to clamp in place endwise' all of the members on thehub. One of the clamp' form a substantially V-shaped nest for the bodyas best shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The pole pieces 64 on the rollers set upa magnetic field in the region of the can body and thus attract the bodytoward the pole pieces. This magnetic attraction pulls the body down outof its turret pocket I 11 and holds it against the friction rings 66.With the body thus free of its pocket, the rotating spinning rollers 27,28 rapidly rotate the body in the nest between the rollers and in aclockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 1 and 4. It is during thisrotation of the body that its interior surfaces are coated ashereinbefore mentioned. Since the body is free of its pocket, no drag iscreated on the body to cause slippage or to reduce its speed ofrotation, or to retard it in any way. Thus a moreuniform thickness ofthecoating material may be applied to the body surfaces; For similarreasons the outer surfaces of the body are free from scratching, marringor other surface damaging effects while at the coating station.

Upon completion of the coating operation, the turret 12 advances throughanother partial rotation to remove the coated body from the coatingstation; 'At the begin ning of this partial rotation, the spinningroller 28 moves out of the way and thus removes its magnetic field andhence reduces the magnetic pull on the body. With only the oppositespinning roller 27 engaging and still rotating the body, the advancingturret 12 through a portion of the defining walls of the pocket 11pushes the body forward away from the roller and thus stops the bodyfrom rotating. At the same time the guide rail pushes the body upwardlyinto fully seated relation in its pocket and thus advances with theturret toward the discharge station while being retained in its pocketbythe guide rail 10.

In a modified form of the invention as shown in Figs. 7, 9 and 10 themagnet is separated from the spinning rollers 27, 28 and is held in astationary position between the rollers. The operating result issubstantially the same as in the preferred form and has the advantage offacilitating replacement of the rubber friction rings 66 when theybecome worn.

In this modified form of the invention the spinning roller hub 62' issurrounded by a sleeve 70 (Fig. 7) which is provided with a pair ofspaced annular flanges 71 which are shouldered to cooperate withthe'clamp rings 68 in clamping the friction rings 66 in place in thespin-- ning roller'str'ucture. In the central spacebetween the flanges71, a stationary permanent magnet 72 having short vertically disposedlegs 73 is provided to create the magnetic field which pulls the canbody down onto the friction rings 66. The magnet 72'preferably isdisposed in the substantially V-shaped nest between the two spinningrollers 27, 28 at a level slightly below the outer faces of the frictionrings 66 for the same purpose as in the preferred form'of the invention.The guide rail 10 is cut away adjacent the V-shaped nest and its endsare connected to the magnet 72 to support the magnet and hold it in astationary position.

In this modified form of the invention, the spinning roller shafts 29,30 are carried in substantially horizontal levers 76, 77 (Figs. 9 and10) which intermediate their length are carried on a common pivot shaft78 secured in a bearing 7'9 in the machine frame 16. The outer oropposite ends of the levers 76, 77 carry cam rollers 81, 82 respectivelywhich operate against respective edge earns 83, 84 mounted on a commondrive shaft 85. The drive shaft 85 may be actuated in any suitablemanner to rotate in time with the rotation of the turret 12 to shift thespinning rollers 27, 28 out of and into the path of travel of the canbodies as hereinabove explained in connection with the preferred form ofthe invention. For this purpose the drive shaft 85 may be connected tothe indexing cam shaft 23 as in the preferred form.

The spinning rollers 27, 28 are rotated as in the preferred form by spurgears 86, 87 (Figs. 9 and 10) which are mounted on the roller hubs 62(see Fig. 7) and which mesh with an idler gear 88 mounted on a shortshaft carried in the lever 76. Gear 87 is driven by an endless chain 89which operates over a sprocket 90 attached to the gear 87, an idlersprocket 91 carried on the pivot shaft 78, and a drive sprocket 92 onthe drive shaft 85.

in a further modified form of the invention as shown in Figs. 8, l2 and13 a single spinning roller 98 is disposed at the coating station B.This spinning roller 98 preferably comprises a rotatable hub 99 whichcarries a cylindrical horseshoe magnet 101 and a pair of resilientfriction rings 102 disposed one adjacent each end of the magnet. Clamprings 103 at the ends of the hub 99 clamp the magnet and the frictionrings together endwise to provide a unitary structure.

The spinning roller 98 is rotatably mounted on a horizontal shaft 105projecting outwardly from a vertical slide 106 carried in a slideway 107formed in a bracket 108 secured to the machine frame 16. The slide 106carries a cam roller 109 which operates in a cam groove 111 of acontinuously rotating face cam 112 mounted on a drive shaft 113 which isrotated in any suitable manner in time with the rotation of the turret12, such as by gear connection with the indexing cam shaft 23 as in thepreferred form of the invention. The cam 112 raises and lowers the slide106 to shift the spinning roller 98 out of and into the path of travelof the can body entering and leaving the coating station B as in thepreferred form of the invention.

The spinning roller 98 is continuously rotated by a sprocket 115 whichis connected with the spinning roll and which is rotated by an endlesschain 116 driven from a sprocket 117 mounted on any suitable rotatingshaft, such as the shaft 113 or the shaft 34 disclosed in the preferredform. A yieldably mounted idler sprocket 118 is provided to take up theslack in the chain during movement of the slide 106.

In order to retain the can body A at the station E during its rotationby the spinning roller 98, a stop roller 121 is provided to contact thebody adjacent the spinning roller 98. The roller 121 (Figs. 8 and 12) iscarried in an arm 122 which projects out from the slide 106.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of the'parts without departing from'the spirit and scope ofthe invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the'formhereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In a coating machine for spraying a film of coating material on theinterior surfaces of open ended can bodies, the combination of anintermittently rotatable turret having peripherally spaced pockets foradvancing can bodies into and out of a body coating station, means forintermittently rotating said turret, a spinning roller disposed at saidstation for frictionally engaging and rotating a said can bodyintroduced into said station for a coating operation, means for rotatingsaid spinning roller, and magnetic means disposed at said station formoving said can body out of its turret pocket and into frictionalengagement with said spinning roller.

2. In a coating machine of the character defined in claim 1 wherein saidmagnetic means is a stationary magnet disposed adjacent the spinningroller.

3. In a coating machine of the character defined in claim 1 wherein saidmagnet means is a magnet rotating adjacent said spinning roller.

4. In a coating machine for spraying a film of coating material on theinterior surfaces of open ended can bodies, the combination of anintermittently rotatable turret having peripherally spaced pockets foradvancing can bodies into and out of a body coating station, means forintermittently rotating said turret, a spinning roller disposed at saidstation for frictionally engaging and rotating a said can bodyintroduced into said station for a coating operation, means for rotatingsaid spinning roller, means for shifting said spinning roller toward andaway from the path of travel of the can bodies to clear said path ofsaid roller during advancement of a can body into and out of saidcoating station, and means disposed at said station for moving said canbody out of its turret pocket and into frictional engagement with saidspinning roller.

5. In a coating machine for spraying a film of'coating material on theinterior surfaces of open ended can bodies, the combination of anintermittently rotatable turret having peripherally spaced pockets foradvancing can bodies into and out of a body coating station, means forintermittently rotating said turret, a pair of spaced and peripherallyadjacent spinning rollers disposed at said station and forming betweenthem a substantially V-shaped nest for receiving and frictionallyrotating a said can body introduced into said station, means forrotating said rollers in unison and in the same direction, means forshifting said spinning rollers independently of each other in successiontoward and away from the path of travel of the can body to clear saidpath of said rollers during advancement of said can body into and out ofsaid coating station, and means disposed at said station for moving saidcan body out of its turret pocket and into frictional engagement withsaid spinning roller.

6. In a coating machine for spraying a film of coating material on theinterior surfaces of open ended can bodies, the combination of anintermittently rotatable turret having peripherally spaced pockets foradvancing can bodies into and out of a body coating station, means forintermittently rotating said turret, a pair of spaced and peripherallyadjacent spinning rollers disposed at said station and forming betweenthem a substantially V-shaped nest for receiving and frictionallyrotating a said can body introduced into said station, means forrotating said rollers in unison and in the same direction, and magneticmeans disposed at said station for moving said can body out of itsturret pocket and into frictional engagement with said spinning rollers.

7. In a coating machine of the character defined in claim 6 wherein saidmagnetic means is a pair' of rotatable magnets disposed one adjacenteach of said spinning rollers.

8. In a coating machine of the character defined in claim 6 wherein saidmagnetic means is a stationary magnet disposed adjacent said spinningrollers.

9. In a coating machine for spraying a film of coating material on theinterior surfaces of open ended can bodies, the combination of anintermittently rotatable turret having peripherally spaced pockets foradvancing can bodies into and out of a body coating station, means forintermittently rotating said turret, a pair of spaced and peripherallyadjacent spinning rollers disposed at said station and formingbetweenthem a substantially V-shaped nest for receiving and frictionallyrotating a said can body introduced into said station, said rollersbeing rotated in unison and in the same direction and being mounted onyieldably held pivot arms, cam means operable against said arms forshifting said rollers independently of each other and in successiontoward and away from the path of travel of the can bodies to clear saidpath of said rollers during advancement of a can body into and out ofsaid coating station, means for actuating said cam means in time withthe advancement of said can bodies, and means disposed at said stationfor moving said can body out of its turret pocket and into frictionalengagement with said spinning roller.

10. In a coating machine for spraying a film of coating material on theinterior surfaces of open ended can bodies, the combination of anintermittently rotatable turret having peripherally spaced pockets foradvancing can bodies into and out of a body coating station, means forintermittently rotating said turret, a spinning roller disposed at saidstation for frictionally engaging and rotating a said can bodyintroduced into said station for a coating operation, means for rotatingsaid spinning roller, and means disposed at said station for moving saidcan body out of its turret pocket and into frictional engagement withsaid spinning roller, said spinning roller and said means for moving acan body out of its turret pocket being combined in a unitary structurecomprising a rotatable hub, a cylindrical magnet carried on said hub, apair of ring-like pole pieces disposed one adjacent each end of saidmagnet for drawing said can body out of its pocket, a pair of resilientfriction rings disposed one adjacent each of said pole pieces forreceiving and rotating said withdrawn can body, and a pair of clamprings disposed one adjacent each of said friction rings at the ends ofsaid assembly and threadedly attached to said hub for clamping togetherendwise all of said members in a unitary structure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,700,697 Draper Jan. 29, 1929 1,734,290 Eberhart Nov. 5, 1929 2,579,737Giordano Dec. 25, 1951 2,613,631 Anderson Oct. 14, 1952

